Particulate material in the form of cylinders, spheres and other regular and irregular shapes are routinely used as catalysts and adsorbents in processing operation such as chemical reactions and separations. The particulate material ordinarily has a mean diameter of less than a quarter inch. The particulate material is normally shipped in a container at least from the point of manufacture to the point of installation where it is loaded in a processing or reactor vessel. A number of catalyst and adsorbents, particularly clay based catalyst, are susceptible to abrasion and/or breakage as a result of handling during the shipping process. Thus, vibration or other disturbance of the catalyst as it is shipped can generate undersized particles (generally referred to as fines) and dust during the transport.
This undersized particulate material and dust are objectionable in processes for a number of reasons. Fines or particulate material may slip through screens or other retaining devices within the processing vessels that are meant to retain the particles. As process fluids move through the processing vessel, the fine materials become entrained therein and can be passed to other equipment such as valves, pumps, and compressors where the fine particles may cause plugging and erosion. More directly, fines and dust within a processing bed can increase pressure drop as fluids pass therethrough. As a result, precautions are normally taken when loading particulate material from drums into a processing vessel to remove fines and dust that can interfere with the operation of the processing equipment. In addition, the fine material within a particle bed may cause channeling and poor distribution of fluids through the bed.
Methods have been employed by those skilled it the art of catalyst handling and loading to remove or reduce fines as catalyst is loaded into reactor vessels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,269 issued to Bischoff shows a suction apparatus for removing fines as catalyst is unloaded from drums into vessels.